Chicago, in words

On Monday my daughters and I, along with my sister's family of five, journeyed by train into downtown Chicago for a day of exploring.  With my preconceived notions of Chicago running wild I was pretty sure nine of us would get off the train but only eight or fewer would survive long enough to get back on.  When I thought of Chicago I instantly thought of crime, murder, drugs, poverty, corruption, Walter Payton, and pizza.  Mr. Payton passed away long ago and pizza can offer only a wee bit of comfort in crisis situations.....so with what I thought I knew of Chicago I was convinced we were doomed.

We were not.  It's no secret The Windy City has suffered from all of the awful things I listed, but what was a secret (to me, at least) is how beautiful the downtown area truly is.  As our train rolled through the south side of town it was clear that wealth has not found the southern suburbs.  When we stepped off the train there was an odor in the air that reeked of filth.  The stairs we climbed towards street level had clearly been traveled by millions of feet, the signs of age and decay not hard to miss.  But the instant we stepped onto whatever street we stepped on the Chicago I was surrounded by looked completely different than the Chicago I expected.  It was clean.  It was modern.  It was gorgeous.

Now, to our credit (wink, wink) we chose the most perfect summer day to be in a big city.  The oppressive heat and humidity that had suffocated the Great Lakes states the previous three days was gone, replaced by high blue skies, a light breeze, and warm-but-not-hot temps.  Everything, from plants to trees to light posts to skyscrapers, glistened in the summer sun.  Within minutes of stepping off the train we were surrounded by perfectly trimmed lawns and gardens overlooking a sparkling Lake Michigan.  Whatever park we were in (Grant, maybe?) was as beautiful as anyplace I've ever been, urban or rural.

We strolled lakeside for a while, taking pictures and drinking in the scenery.  We went into Shedd Aquarium for a few hours.  We rode a water taxi from the aquarium end of the harbor to the Navy Pier end, where we were met by my daughters' favorite cousin of all time, who now lives in Chicago. She became our tour guide, and marched us through the streets to Gino's East so we could have a deep dish pizza supper.  After supper we walked the Magnificent Mile, saw The Bean in Millennium Park, and let the younger kids play in the Daly playground area.  And I loved every single second of it.

It's not like we were in some kind of urban utopia - the people didn't seem very friendly, the drivers were terribly rude, the homeless made their presence known, and the sidewalks were very crowded - but I still can't believe how beautiful that downtown area was.  Planters of flowers lined many of the streets.  The storefronts were inviting (of course).  Each skyscraper looked taller and cleaner than the one I had just decided was the tallest and the cleanest.  Even with the ornery people and rude drivers I felt perfectly safe.  The area was easy to navigate, and was obviously designed with families and tourists in mind....which, according to tour guide Sarah, it was.....what with the parks in the center surrounded by museums and aquariums and attractions, all just a short walk from transportation.

Would I live in Chicago?  No chance.  Would I visit it again?  Absolutely.  I haven't been many places, haven't seen many big cities, but Chicago vaulted itself to the top of my list of favorite vacation destinations.  As we walked the Magnificent Mile my sister asked "Did you ever think you'd be walking the streets of Chicago?"  No, never, not even once.  But I can't wait to do it again.